Islamabad | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Security has been heightened in federal capital Islamabad ahead of arrival of US and Iranian delegations for peace talks aimed at ending the Middle East crisis.

Pakistan is set to witness renewed diplomatic activity as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad tonight with a small delegation, amid growing momentum for a possible second round of US-Iran negotiations.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, Natalie Baker, in Islamabad, where the two discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold a second round of US-Iran talks, the interior ministry said. According to the interior ministry’s statement, during their “important meeting”, Naqvi and Baker exchanged detailed views on the latest regional situation and discussed diplomatic efforts regarding the possible second round of US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad. Naqvi commended US President Donald Trump’s initiative to extend the ceasefire, calling it a “welcome development” that made significant progress towards reducing tensions. “We also hope for positive progress from Iran’s side,” the interior minister was quoted as saying. The meeting emphasised the need for continuity in diplomatic channels for a lasting resolution to the conflict. According to the ministry, the minister told Baker that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir were making “a...

Islamabad’s Red Zone remained sealed to the general public on Wednesday, but other routes in the twin cities, sealed earlier for the security of foreign delegations visiting the capital, were opened to the public, easing some hardship faced by the residents. US Vice President JD Vance and his team had been expected to arrive on Wednesday morning, but the White House abruptly changed plans, with Iran’s negotiating delegation also delaying a decision on attending talks. Major roads have been closed in recent days to facilitate the arrival of foreign delegations and advance teams. Markets were quiet, government officials worked from home, children attended classes online and security forces enforced strict curbs on entering the vast Red Zone. The security in the Red Zone, where government buildings and offices are located, remained high. There was a heavy deployment of law enforcement personnel and the army was patrolling the area. Public entry to the Red Zone has remained sealed since Sunday, with access restri...

Reports in the United States media have suggested that a second round of negotiations between the US and Iran is expected to take place in Islamabad on Wednesday, though uncertainty persists amid conflicting signals from Tehran.

Key developments Trump has confirmed an American delegation will be arriving in Pakistan for talks. While he said on Monday evening that JD Vance and an American delegation were en route to Islamabad, US news outlets reported that the US vice president had yet to depart Iran says it has yet to decide whether it will attend next round of talks with US; parliament speaker highlights lack of trust in Washington Tight security in Islamabad for arrival of foreign delegations; Red Zone sealed and public transport in twin cities suspended Uncertainty prevailed on Monday over whether the United States and Iran would hold a second round of direct talks, as mixed signals emerged from Tehran amid intensifying tensions with Washington, even as Islamabad prepared to host the two sides. Meanwhile, US Donald Trump confirmed that a US team would be in Islamabad for the expected talks. However, it was not clear when the team would depart and arrive in Pakistan. Initially, Trump told The New York Post on Monday evening that US...

The high security measures were in place in Islamabad for the arrival of foreign delegations, even as mixed signals emerged from Iran amid intensifying tensions with the United States. Iran has said it has not yet decided on attending a new round of negotiations with the US, while President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a US delegation will be arriving in the federal capital “tomorrow evening”. Despite this, security in Islamabad was on high alert on Monday, with the Red Zone sealed and public transport in the twin cities suspended. A police officer gestures to a vehicle at a checkpost along a road near Faisal Masjid, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad on April 19, 2026. — Reuters Rangers descend from a vehicle during their deployment along a road leading to the Presidentâ’ss House, as Pakistan prepares to host the United States and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad on April 20, 2026. — Reuters A police officer guards a road blo...

Ministry of National Health Services has dismissed reports claiming a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Islamabad, terming them inaccurate and without factual basis.

Authorities in Islamabad have closed several hiking trails and implemented a comprehensive traffic management plan amid heightened security arrangements for the arrival of foreign delegations.

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that representatives from Washington were heading to Islamabad and they would be “there tomorrow evening for negotiations” with Iran. The US president made the announcement in a Truth Social post, where he also insisted that Washington was offering Tehran “a very fair and reasonable” deal. “And I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he warned. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honour to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” US media outlets reported, citing the White House spokesperson and officials, that Vice President JD Vance would lead the American delegation, and that Trump’s envoy Steve Kushner and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would also be part of t...

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on Sunday dismissed as fake on Sunday a notification announcing that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further notice. In a social media post on X, Memon said, “Citizens are requested to refrain from sharing unverified or fake news. Please rely only on official handles of the district administration, Islamabad, for authentic updates.” However, a late-night Cabinet Division notification said that all ministries, divisions and other federal government establishments located in Islamabad’s Red Zone should adopt a work-from-home arrangement on April 20. “All officers and secretarial staff shall remain at the station and be prepared to attend office when required at a short notice,” the notification said. Similarly, a notification by the Islamabad district magistrate said that entry into Red Zone would remain suspended on April 20, and in view of the development, all public and private offices...

Islamabad’s Red Zone was closed for traffic as the capital braces to welcome foreign delegations, police said on Sunday, with alternate traffic plans issued to facilitate citizens. “Due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Islamabad, Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic,” the police said in a statement on X. The alternative traffic plans will remain in place from today until further directives, they said. The Cabinet Division also said in a notification that all ministries, divisions and other federal government establishments located in Islamabad’s Red Zone should adopt a work-from-home arrangement on April 20. “All officers and secretarial staff shall remain at the station and be prepared to attend office when required at a short notice,” the notification said. Similarly, a notification by the Islamabad district magistrate said that entry into Red Zone would remain suspended on April 20, and in view of the development, all public and private offices and s...

MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Sunday that he had conveyed a message to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan, stating that he was ready to “be in Islamabad” — ostensibly to hold a power show in the federal capital. “I conveyed to him that I am ready, the nation is ready, Pakistanis are ready … If you give us the go-ahead, we will be in Islamabad the next day,” he told a charged crowd at a public gathering in Mardan. He said Imran had instructed to consult Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leaders Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai as well, and he would be mindful of that. Turning his guns on the incumbent federal government, he said they had been unable to make Imran bow under the pressure of “baseless and fabricated cases”, filed against him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. He accused the government of committing “cruelty and injustice” against Imran, his sisters and Bushra Bibi. Afridi decried that Imran and Bushra Bibi were being deprived of the right to get medi...

Security in Islamabad has been further tightened ahead of a potential second round of talks between the United States and Iran, according to reports citing official sources.

The Islamabad and Rawalpindi administrations on Friday refuted reports regarding the closure of transport terminals. In a post on the social media platform X, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfaz Nawaz Memon said, “All bus terminals in Islamabad are open as usual. All types of transport are operating as usual at all bus terminals, including Faizabad.” Further, the Islamabad Traffic Police also clarified that reports regarding the closure of transport stands in the federal capital were baseless. A traffic police official said that inter-city transport in Islamabad was operating as usual and no shutdown had been ordered. He said any decision regarding closure of bus terminals or inter-city public transport would be communicated to the public in advance through official channels. The official urged citizens to rely only on verified information and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports. The same was also shared by the Islamabad Traffic Police on X. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema also s...

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim shake hands in Doha; and (right) Field Marshal Asim Munir meets Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran.—Reuters/AFP • Claims Iran has accepted ‘almost everything’ in talks • Nuclear issue remains key sticking point; US presses for complete dismantlement • Pakistan-led diplomacy, CDF’s Tehran visit gain global attention • FO says Pakistan maintaining ‘open channels’ with both sides • Massive security deployment planned in Islamabad, Rawalpindi WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he may travel to Islamabad if a final agreement with Iran is signed there, while claiming that Tehran has accepted “almost everything” currently under negotiation. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for Nevada and Arizona, Trump expressed optimism about Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts to end hostilities and secure a settlement before the current ceasefire expires. “If a deal is signed in Islamabad, I may go,...

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to end the war was reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go there, claiming that Iran had agreed to almost everything. He also said that the US and Iran were “very close” to signing a peace deal. Trump struck an optimistic tone about Iran as he spoke with reporters on the White House lawn on his way to a trip to Nevada and Arizona. Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engaged in feverish diplomacy, seeking to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table after the Islamabad Talks over the weekend yielded no result. Now, there are reports that the negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad. The talks were held as a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained in effect. The ceasefire paused hostilities that began with the US-Israeli strikes on February 28. During the conversation at the White House, Trump was asked if he would go to Pakistan to seal the deal himself, t...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated he could visit Islamabad if a nuclear agreement with Iran is finalised there, describing ongoing negotiations as “very positive.

ISLAMABAD: Security arrangements in Islamabad were in overdrive on Thursday as speculation continued about the federal capital possibly hosting a second round of talks between the US and Iran. Speaking to Dawn, senior police officials said a meeting — chaired by the deputy inspector general of logistics — was held last night, during which a shortage of manpower in connection with the security arrangements came to light. Officials have also begun carpeting the Islamabad Expressway to remove bumps and potholes in a bid to ensure a smooth drive from Nur Khan Airbase to the Red Zone, they said. Meanwhile, police in the federal capital have also sought 7,000 personnel from Punjab police, 3,000 of whom reached Islamabad on Thursday, the senior officials said. Accommodation for the additional force has been arranged at different locations, including Liaqat Gymnasium and a school in F-7, they added. The remaining force from Punjab was likely to be sent from different districts, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranw...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to finalise regulations for Islamabad’s informal settlements in petitions against the recent demolition drives in the federal capital. The development comes amid an ongoing demolition drive launched by the CDA, which has targeted informal settlements across the federal capital, as well as historic villages like Saidpur, Malpur and Nurpur Shahan. Thursday’s hearing was presided over by FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan. During the hearing, he directed the CDA to formulate rules for regularising informal settlements in Islamabad. Lawyer Faisal Siddiqui appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while lawyer Qasim Chohan represented the CDA. Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman was also present at the hearing. “Why have the regulations not been finalised yet?” Justice Khan asked the AAG during the hearing. At this, the AAG said that “there had been a delay due to the CDA chairman being changed,” assuring ...